If you loved the way The Philosopher Kings wrestles with questions about ideal societies, justice, and the costs of utopia, you'll find The Dispossessed just as thought-provoking. Le Guin’s novel follows Shevek, a physicist who journeys between an anarchist moon and a capitalist planet, grappling with competing philosophies and the meaning of true freedom. The book’s meditative pace and philosophical debates echo Jo Walton’s own speculative inquiries.

If you enjoyed how The Philosopher Kings weaves together the lives of Simmea, Maia, and others in a historically inspired world, Guy Gavriel Kay’s Children of Earth and Sky will captivate you. The book follows multiple characters—artists, spies, warriors—across a landscape inspired by Renaissance Europe, with intersecting destinies and shifting loyalties. Each perspective adds depth to the tapestry of the world, much like Walton’s ensemble storytelling.

If what drew you to The Philosopher Kings was the lush and intelligent construction of a city built on Plato’s ideals, you’ll appreciate The Just City by Susan Waggoner. This novel imagines a community striving to live by philosophical principles, with rich attention to daily life, education, and the tensions between theory and reality—mirroring Walton’s intricate worldbuilding and intellectual curiosity.

Did you appreciate the sweeping timespan and ambitious scale of The Philosopher Kings, with its examination of generations struggling to build a utopia? The Years of Rice and Salt offers a grand, alternate history that follows reincarnated souls over centuries as they witness the rise and fall of civilizations. Robinson’s vision is epic, exploring the evolution of ideas and cultures on a vast canvas.

If you were intrigued by the complex, sometimes flawed morality of the leaders and thinkers in The Philosopher Kings, you’ll be fascinated by The Secret History. Tartt’s novel follows a group of classics students whose pursuit of philosophical ideals leads them into morally gray territory, with decisions that haunt them and test the boundaries of right and wrong.